It was just a year ago when Bradford resident, mother Angie Celan decided she wanted to open her own dance studio in town. Her husband Tommy was very supportive of the idea and encouraged her to follow her dreams.
The couple have lived in Bradford for six years after moving from Maple and have four children: one boy and three girls. They were originally drawn to Bradford for its family friendly community feel.
"At first I said, 'absolutely not," recalled Angie, noting it felt too far at the time.
But since Tommy's brother and parents lived in town already, the decision to move and be closer to family is what pushed them to purchase a home in the Grand Central area.
Angie has a extensive background in dance and is hoping to share her knowledge and expertise with the residents of Bradford.
"I've danced competitively for years and years since I was about two," she explained, and has also been a gymnastics coach.
Once she became a mom, she stepped away from dance for a bit to obtain a job in the corporate world. While on maternity leave with her youngest child is when she decided she wanted to get back into the dance industry and open her own studio, close to home.
"I gave her the motivation," said Tommy. "You got to just do it!"
"If I don't do it, I'll look back and regret it," Angie remembers thinking.
And so Young Dancers Academy of Bradford went from dream to reality, officially opening its doors this past weekend in the Summerlyn Shoppes plaza.
"It's so central, we're right in the heart of Bradford, we're near all the new developments," noted Angie, adding that many students can even walk to the studio.
Angie and Tommy have hired a team of professional, skilled instructors to teach the classes. Angie will also step in as needed, but will focus predominately on running the studio behind the scenes. Tommy will also be around to lend a hand. As a general contractor, he helped set up the studio installing all the floors and ballet barres.
The studio offers a variety of classes for dancers of all ages and skill levels, from ballet and jazz to acro and hip hop. There are even adult classes, including ballet fit, jazz funk,hip hop and a heels class, as well as parent and tot program.
There are plans to build the studio's own competitive team as well. The couple's three daughters want to take part in competitive dance and will now be able to do so right at their mother's studio. Their son will be taking part in the hip hop and Fortnite classes. The studio also plans to offer birthday party packages on weekends for kids, which will include a 45 minute dance lesson with a separate party room for cake and presents afterwards.
Opening up a new business during a pandemic has been a bit of a challenge, but the couple is hopeful and excited for the future.
Angie acknowledged that some parents may be apprehensive about signing their kids up for extra curricular activities due to the pandemic, that's why she has implemented strict COVID protocols at the studio, including screening upon arrival, hand sanitizers, masks mandatory in common areas, and marked off squares to dance in. There will also only be one way in and one way out of the studio, with their two doors.
Students are encouraged to register anytime before November, at which point classes will begin learning routines for their annual recital in the spring.
To learn more about the studio and classes, visit their website here.
